Apple Jam
by WhereverUAre
Summary: How could Jason leave Reyna's side without telling her how he really felt? F/M. Preg (F/M Preg seems so strange in the FF world XD)


_"Just when you think that things couldn't get worse, life often proves you wrong. Similarly, life surprises you when you think that things couldn't get better than this."_

\- WhereverUare

Jason, Will and Hazel were immediately met by Percy, Annabeth and Reyna when they exited Rachel's cave.

"So? What did she say? Don't keep us in suspense!" Percy asked.

Hazel exchanged looks with other two before reciting the prophecy.

 _"The Children of Lightning, Healing and Riches, head to the land of Flowers,_

 _At the furthest South, the wronged soul will resurrect to the bidding of Jilted Augurs._

 _Only the aid of other children of the sky will calm his wrath; Beware of the Titan's penitentiary,_

 _Where a millennium passes like a Century."_

"Avoid all Titans and whatever penitentiary is."Jason thought as Hazel rushed to IM Frank and let him know the news. Frank had been more than understanding and supportive about Hazel's new quest while he held the fort at New Rome. Frank was very much on board with Reyna staying at Camp Half Blood till Jason returned and had assured them that he thought it was best that Reyna stay as close to Asoka as possible while Jason was away. Besides, Annabeth had agreed to visit every week to help him refurbish their Roman counterpart's Camp while Dakota had also stepped up greatly to help Frank. Members of Cabin Nine had promised to help as much as possible. The secret underground portal was truly the most thoughtful gift from Lord Hephaestus.

While Annabeth, Percy and Will were discussing the quest and their source of allies in Florida, Jason moved aside with Reyna. For a second Jason forgot what he was about to say. For all their trials and tribulations, Reyna was worth every second. She was positively glowing as she smiled at him, rested her head on his chest and held him close. He inhaled that smell of fresh linen as he instantly forgot all his worries. This was the most strong, intelligent and beautiful woman he had ever seen and he was lucky enough that she was going to be the mother of his child. He could not keep his hands off her mid riff as he was constantly amazed. That was his child in there. Half him and half Reyna. All the dreams and futures he never dared to think about were coming true.

He held her hand and walked to the side of the lake as the rest of the group started researching on organizations of Augurs still operational in Florida. He felt bad on leaving the rest of the heroes to do all the research but he figured that they would all understand. He had a couple of hours left before he had to leave Reyna's side again. He wished so badly that he had an option, that he could ignore the quest and stay with his girlfriend in this beautiful camp with strawberries and relaxed atmospheres. However, even if he ignored Hera's protection, it would come to hurt him or worse, hurt Reyna and their baby. That was a risk that Jason just could not allow. So he squared his shoulder and helped his girlfriend sit down on the picnic blanket that he had placed along with a picnic basket before meeting with Rachel.

Reyna and him had always taken small picnics whenever they could to get away from New Rome and all the endless pressures and responsibilities. They would every so often pick up a basket of their favorite food and find a secluded picnic spot to enjoy a few hours of freedom. It had become their little secret till the point where Reyna and Jason would constantly be on the lookout for such secluded spots and snacks that the other would enjoy. It was a milestone for them that they no longer needed secluded spots. Their love had no one to fear anymore. They were out in the open, not looking over their shoulder but looking into each other's eyes with a million emotions, concerns and thoughts being expressed without a word being said. Reyna scooted deeper into his embrace as a pleasant breeze raised their spirits. They opened the basket and started unpacking when Reyna burst out laughing. She pulled out a small jar of apple jam. She had told him almost a decade ago that she missed it greatly after this small bakery near her home shut down. For years, she had looked for it, even getting desperate enough to ask help from the Amazons but she never managed to locate a jar of it.

"I can't believe you remembered after so many years."

"How could I forget? When you told me, that's when I realized that there was so much to you that I was dying to know about."

She cracked the jar open and inhaled deeply as tears filled her eyes. She remembered being at home with her sister and her father before he lost his mind. She remembered running around and laughing without a care in the world. She remembered what it felt like to not worry about anything and just be a child. She remembered feeling safe. But she was safe now. In the arms of the strongest hero in the world, in the arms of the man who loved her more than life itself, she was as safe and happy as she had been all those years ago. Jason and her were realizing a dream that they never had the guts to admit.

As Jason pressed kisses into her skin gently, as he imprinted on her his most tender signs of affection, two pegai soared high above their heads and showered them with thousands of petals. The picnic blanket was not visible anymore under the bed of petals. Dryads appeared on the horizon from behind their trees and started to play beautiful flute music. Jason helped her to her feet to see them perform and held her with her back to his chest as he rested his chin on her head. The air was filled with the pleasant smell of flowers, cool breeze and soothing music.

"Is this heaven?" Reyna wondered. Jason pressed a kiss on the side of her forehead before unwrapping his arms from around her. Reyna turned around to frown at him, not holding her was not an option right now.

Jason was down on one knee with the lake as his background. As he smiled shyly at her, water nymphs in the lake precisely sprayed water into the air, in the glorious sunlight to throw rainbows which seemed to spell the words "Mrary me."

Reyna laughed giddily at the dyslexia that had seeped into their laughs, the euphoria of the moment as Jason pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. He opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring with delicate engraving in the platinum.

"Reyna, I love you. I love you more than my own life. I promise to love you more than anything else in the world till the end of my days. As long as there is breathe in my body, as long as my heart is beating, I will love you unconditionally. If our stories, if our names survive the test of time and remain in the tales of heroes, never let my name be mentioned without you. Reyna let me have the honor of being named Jason Reyna Grace. Will you please marry me?"

Reyna did her best to look at her beloved through a sheen of tears.

"Yes! Yes, Jason!"

Jason smiled widely before he slipped the ring onto her finger. He jumped to his feet and kissed his fiancé with such joy that the gods above envied them.

*Fin*

PS: Not to mock the gods but that line was inspired by the following quote:

"The gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment may be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again." - Troy


End file.
